SAT Vocabulary: List #15

  1. circumspect (adj): wary and unwilling to take risks
  2. The CIRCUMSPECT boy will never truly succeed because he refuses to try new things and take risks; if he never puts himself out there, he’ll never get in the game to win!
  3. foment (verb): to cause or stir up trouble or rebellion
  4. Mark Antony tries to FOMENT the Roman crowd with his stirring eulogy for Caesar; he succeeds because after his speech, they are in such a frenzy that they start to riot and even kill poor Cinna the poet!
  5. expurgate (verb): to remove words or passages considered offensive or unsuitable from a book or account before publication
  6. The conservative panel will just EXPURGATE the important material from the text, claiming it is unsuitable for America’s youth; this violates free speech and keeps our children ignorant!
  7. extemporaneous (adj): performed without any preparation
  8. Even though I had to give a completely EXTEMPORANEOUS violin performance, I still did well without having had the opportunity to prepare because I am such a natural with music.
  9. fetid (adj): with a rotten or offensive smell
  10. I forgot to take my dirty soccer clothes out of my gym bag last week, so when I opened it up, the FETID odor nearly made me pass out!